What's in store for 2024 in Osnaburg Township? The township's first park.

• The Canton Repository asked leaders in each of Stark County’s 17 townships, 11 villages and six cities to share some highlights about what's in store for 2024 in their communities.
• Osnaburg Township trustees plan to develop the township's first park by fall.
• The township's new salt storage building has been filled to be ready for winter.

Editor’s note: The Canton Repository asked leaders in each of Stark County’s 17 townships, 11 villages and six cities to share some highlights about what's in store for 2024 in their communities.

The responses include the return of some family-friendly events, a variety of new businesses and some much-needed improvements to longstanding structures. A list of previous stories in this series is presented below.

OSNABURG TWP. − A new community park tops the list of highlights in Osnaburg Township for 2024.

Here's what else is in store for 2024 in the township of roughly 3,900 people:

Township’s first park to be ready by fall

Construction of the township’s first community park, called Sukosd Park, could begin in the next few months.

The park will be built at 1600 Broadway Ave. NE on the roughly 50 acres of land that Elaine Sukosd gifted the township when she died in 2020. The township also received the one-acre property where her former ranch brick home sits.

Township Trustee Brenda A. Griffith said the township has applied for state capital grant funds to help pay for a new driveway and a parking lot that will be located southeast of the house along Broadway Avenue NE. Trustees hope to hear whether their request has been granted in May.

Even without the grant, the township plans to install the driveway and parking lot by the end of the summer, Griffith said.

She also hopes to install some gym equipment, such as climbing and other ninja gym structures, this summer. Trustees plan to utilize the house for equipment storage for now.

The property, which remains in the name of Sukosd’s estate to ensure it remains a park, will continue to be developed in stages over several years.  Future plans include creating a 15-foot-wide natural walking path around the perimeter of the property that can be used by residents and the East Canton High School cross-country team, which now runs along state Route 44.

Until then, the property will continue to be farmed, Griffith said.

Salt storage building ready for winter

The township has erected a new salt storage building that can hold up to roughly 1,200 tons of salt.

With 54 miles of township roads, trustees said the township needs the capability to store more salt to treat icy roads than its previous facility that held only 300 tons.

Trustees recently purchased $71,760 worth of salt to fill the storage building at 7115 Hillvale St. SE.

Upcoming road projects to include allotment chip-and-seal, blacktopping

Township road crews plan to chip seal roughly 10 miles of road like they usually do, as well as resurface the roads of two housing allotments – Valhalla Terrace off state Route 44 and Sunlight Acres off Georgetown Road NE.

Road Superintendent Stu Unkefer Jr. said crews will later return to the allotments to seal the new blacktop to prevent water intrusion and ensure the asphalt lasts longer.

Township officials also are seeking a state grant to chip seal Parks Avenue. An application for $98,357 was submitted to the Ohio Public Works Commission.

Historical society to host garage sale, open houses, holiday events

The Osnaburg Historical Society will hold its annual garage sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 9-11 at the Werner Inn at 131 E. Nassau Street.

The tentative dates for the historical society's open houses are May 26 at Mapleton Museum at 3635 Lotz Ave. SE and June 23, July 28, Aug. 25, Sept. 22 and Oct. 27 at Werner Inn.

The society will decorate Werner Inn for Christmas from Nov. 18-22, will host Santa at the Inn on Dec. 8 and a holiday dinner on Dec. 9.

Remembrance wreaths will be placed on the graves of local soldiers during a Wreaths Across America ceremony that will be held at noon Dec. 14 at the Mapleton Cemetery at 3635 Lotz Ave. SE. Wreaths can be purchased for $17.

Reach Canton Repository staff writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com.